UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) Shares Down 1.8% – Here’s What Happened

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated (NYSE:UNH) shares traded down 1.8% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as low as $321.45 and last traded at $321.68. 7,381,341 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 40% from the average session volume of 12,346,681 shares. The stock had previously closed at $327.74.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

UNH has been the topic of several analyst reports. Bank of America increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $350.00 to $390.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Wednesday, October 8th. Piper Sandler reduced their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $423.00 to $417.00 and set an “overweight” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Mizuho increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $300.00 to $430.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday, October 9th. Morgan Stanley increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $325.00 to $395.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, September 12th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company increased their price target on shares of UnitedHealth Group from $267.00 to $400.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, October 7th. Eighteen research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, UnitedHealth Group currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $397.12.

UnitedHealth Group Trading Down 1.8%

The business’s 50 day simple moving average is $345.17 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $324.09. The company has a quick ratio of 0.85, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.71. The stock has a market cap of $291.39 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.79, a PEG ratio of 2.28 and a beta of 0.47.

UnitedHealth Group (NYSE:UNH) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, October 28th. The healthcare conglomerate reported $2.92 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.87 by $0.05. UnitedHealth Group had a return on equity of 19.23% and a net margin of 4.04%.The firm had revenue of $113.16 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $113.19 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $7.15 EPS. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 12.2% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that UnitedHealth Group Incorporated will post 29.54 EPS for the current year.

UnitedHealth Group Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, September 23rd. Stockholders of record on Monday, September 15th were paid a $2.21 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, September 15th. This represents a $8.84 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.7%. UnitedHealth Group’s payout ratio is currently 46.14%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On UnitedHealth Group

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 685.7% in the first quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 55 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 48 shares in the last quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd increased its stake in UnitedHealth Group by 416.7% in the first quarter. Clal Insurance Enterprises Holdings Ltd now owns 62 shares of the healthcare conglomerate’s stock valued at $32,000 after purchasing an additional 50 shares in the last quarter. LFA Lugano Financial Advisors SA bought a new stake in UnitedHealth Group in the second quarter valued at $25,000. Sagard Holdings Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the second quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Cloud Capital Management LLC bought a new stake in shares of UnitedHealth Group during the third quarter worth about $32,000. 87.86% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

UnitedHealth Group Company Profile

UnitedHealth Group Incorporated operates as a diversified health care company in the United States. The company operates through four segments: UnitedHealthcare, Optum Health, Optum Insight, and Optum Rx. The UnitedHealthcare segment offers consumer-oriented health benefit plans and services for national employers, public sector employers, mid-sized employers, small businesses, and individuals; health care coverage, and health and well-being services to individuals age 50 and older addressing their needs; Medicaid plans, children's health insurance and health care programs; and health and dental benefits, and hospital and clinical services, as well as health care benefits products and services to state programs caring for the economically disadvantaged, medically underserved, and those without the benefit of employer-funded health care coverage.